UNL makes changes to Saturday undergraduate commencement ceremony--INFORMATION UPDATED ON MAY 2

UNL UNDERGRADUATE COMMENCEMENT PLANS WERE UPDATED ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON, MAY 2. FOR UP-TO-DATE COMMENCEMENT INFORMATION, VISIT THE COMMENCEMENT WEBSITE, http://commencement.unl.edu, OR GO TO THE MAY 2 NEWS RELEASE ANNOUNCING THE CHANGES, http://go.unl.edu/7jo.    

        Because of anticipated unseasonably cold and wet weather on Saturday, plans are in place for an abbreviated University of Nebraska-Lincoln undergraduate commencement ceremony in Memorial Stadium at 9:30 a.m. on May 4.

            Graduating students are asked to check in wearing their cap and gown at the Hawks Championship Center between 8 and 8:30 a.m. After checking in, students will receive their diplomas from their college deans. Each graduate will be professionally photographed as they receive their diploma. Unfortunately, space limitations will not allow for guests to accompany graduates into the Hawks Center.

            Graduates will be seated in the reserved areas of sections 3 through 7 of Memorial Stadium by 9:15 a.m. for official conferral of degrees by college. Students will be shown on the HuskerVision screens as degrees are conferred by college.

            Former U.S. Sen. and Nebraska Gov. Ben Nelson will deliver the commencement address. A Builders Award will be conferred to Lance Morgan, and recognition of ROTC commissions will take place. The ceremony will be live-streamed on the UNL website at http://www.unl.edu.

            The May 2013 graduating class will recess through the "Tunnel Walk" gates together -- the same gates through which they entered the university for the first time as freshman students at New Student Convocation.

            Coffee and hot chocolate will be provided between 8 and 9:30 a.m. for guests, who can enter Memorial Stadium through Gates 3 and 11 to attend the ceremony. Following the event, families are welcome to take photos on the field or the commencement stage.

            Graduating students and attendees are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather and wear flat shoes to avoid injury in Memorial Stadium.

            UNL officials explored every possible option for an alternative indoor venue for undergraduate commencement, but no venue in Lincoln could accommodate such a large event. Many colleges and universities across the nation routinely hold outdoor commencement ceremonies -- this year just happens to include challenging weather as a factor.

         "There is no other available venue large enough to accommodate the 1,713 attending graduates and their 14,000 expected guests, even if we divided into two ceremonies," Chancellor Harvey Perlman said. "This is an unusual circumstance. This may be the only time UNL commencement is held in Memorial Stadium, and this weekend's weather is forecast to be unseasonably cold and wet."

            Parking is available in campus parking garages. For details and directions, visit http://commencement.unl.edu/2013-parking-map.